If you ever doubted whether how good your resume was directly reflected your job search chances, let us assure you it does.
In fact, let us emphasize just how important a top-notch resume is to your chances of landing an interview.
The Importance of a Top-Notch Resume – How It Affects Your Job Search Chances
According to an academic research paper by Andrew Leigh, an economics professor from ANU; applicants with names that sound Middle Eastern or Chinese need to submit a whopping 50% more applications in order to enjoy the same number of call backs as candidates that have an Anglo sounding name.
While this particular study shows that minorities are still discriminated against by employers, there’s more to this if we dig a little deeper. There are a number of things employers will discriminate against other than minorities including age, or where one resides.
They also include candidates who utilize useless phrases in their resume, those who fill their resume with fluff, and those who do not take the time to create a resume that is of the best possible quality.
It’s a tough job market, so you want to have as much of an advantage as possible.
Having the best qualifications isn’t a guarantee of having your resume looked at. You need a resume that stands out in a crowd.
Remember employers can often receive hundreds of applications for a single position.
Read on to learn how to get your resume noticed and put together a killer resume!
Basic Tips on How to Create an Impressive Resume That Stands Out
There are all kinds of discrimination out there.
Let’s look at how you can create a good resume that avoids discrimination and creates a lasting impression.
Initial steps would be:
1. Study the Company’s Website
A company spends a great deal of money, time, and effort creating the public relations profiles designed for visitors.
You need to watch for taglines, words and phrases that are used repeatedly, and hints relating to the company’s philosophical approach. From the website you can learn about the company’s leadership focus, whether they value diversity, how important community service is to them, what their goals are, how they solve problems, whether you think you would be a good fit for the company.
2. Review the Company’s LinkedIn Profile
Look for the mention of key skills.
Look at the profiles of the company you are applying to or similar companies for ideas relating to the type of skills, work, and accomplishments.
3. Take Time to Study the Company’s Job Description
Use Monster.com, Indeed.com, or LinkedIn.com and research the job descriptions the company has posted.
Look at the details and what they consistently desire. If the job appeals to you, then improve your resume to fit the company’s focus.
4. Talk to People in the Target Field
Hold informational meetings with people who work in your field and ask them what skills they use most often, what problems they have found themselves facing, and the qualities employers most often seek.
Use the information you gather to improve your resume. It can help you to get the upper hand in a market that is highly competitive.
The Basic Guidelines for a Good Resume Impression
Do Your Resume Homework
It begins by doing your homework.
The more you know about the position you are applying for and the company the more likely you are to create that targeted killer resume that most only dream about. Put on your detective hat and start snooping. Find out what got others in your field hired. Join forums, clubs, alliances, etc.
The more competitive your field the more important this insider information is.
Creating Your Killer Resume
You need to know what you want and then make sure your resume sends that message.
Remember your resume is like a photograph of who you are, your education, and your experiences.
If you were a model, you would only send out your best photo, so only send out the best resume.
Make Your First Impression Count!
The majority of people make mistakes in their resumes and aren’t even aware they have. It’s the little things that can get you in the biggest trouble.
Here are basic guidelines:
- Make sure you have proofread many times and have someone else go over it too.
- Make your layout easy to read.
- Leave white space – it makes reading that much easier.
- Use one of the recommended resume fonts – San Serif (Contemporary) or Serif fonts (Traditional)
- Make sure all resumes are originals. No cheap photocopies
- Make sure there are no smudges or creases.
- Use high quality paper (yes it really does make a difference)
- Always include a cover letter with a hook (this is your sales pitch)
Stay Focused – How to Make Your Resume Worth a Second Glance
If you want your resume to get a second glance make it worth that second glance. Don’t ramble on just to hear your fingers type. Remember stay clear and concise:
- List your strengths and key skills – this is highly underutilized. Most of us do not do well at “tooting our own horn.” Well now is the time to do just that.
- List your education – unless you are new to the job market you do not need to include your high school information.
- Use action words in the resume – Make your resume action packed by using “good words” such as organized, supervised, etc. Don’t be afraid to include examples.
- Tailor your resume – Be who the employer needs you to be. Make sure you tailor your resume to the specific job.
Appeal to Employers’ Senses – How to Get Your Resume Noticed in a Crowd
So many resumes – so little time.
Your potential employer is going to flip through the resumes and eliminate as many as 50% without even reading them carefully first quickly.
You need to appeal to your potential employers’ senses. By knowing what they are looking for, you can make key points stand out on your resume and make it into that short pile.
Your resume should always be customized to the job. Food for thought – Killer resumes are always custom resumes.
In today’s economic times employers are able to seek out ‘the best of the best’ often settling for nothing less.
As a result your resume has to be able to compete heavily against tons of resumes that often run into the hundreds.
By taking the time to create a resume that leaves an impression you are much more likely to make it to the interview process.